Abstract

In this letter, we report preparation of strongly anchored multiwall carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)carbon fiber (CF) fabric preforms. These preforms were reinforced in epoxy resin to make multi scale composites for microwave absorption in the X-band (8.2-12.4GHz). The incorporation of MWCNTs on the carbon fabric produced a significant enhancement in the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI-SE) from −29.4 dB for CF/epoxy-composite to −51.1 dB for CF-MWCNT/epoxy multiscale composites of 2 mm thickness. In addition to enhanced EMI-SE, interlaminar shear strength improved from 23 MPa for CF/epoxy-composites to 50 MPa for multiscale composites indicating their usefulness for making structurally strong microwave shields.

Received 12 December 2011Accepted 29 May 2012Published online 13 June 2012

Acknowledgments:

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of Mr. K. N. Sood for taking SEM pictures of the samples. The studies were supported through research grant from ASL under MoU: ASL/31/08/4052/MoU/01.

Abstract

In this letter, we report preparation of strongly anchored multiwall carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)carbon fiber (CF) fabric preforms. These preforms were reinforced in epoxy resin to make multi scale composites for microwave absorption in the X-band (8.2-12.4GHz). The incorporation of MWCNTs on the carbon fabric produced a significant enhancement in the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI-SE) from −29.4 dB for CF/epoxy-composite to −51.1 dB for CF-MWCNT/epoxy multiscale composites of 2 mm thickness. In addition to enhanced EMI-SE, interlaminar shear strength improved from 23 MPa for CF/epoxy-composites to 50 MPa for multiscale composites indicating their usefulness for making structurally strong microwave shields.